Spring draft attachment for vehicles



(No Model.)

H. BARBER.

SPRING DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR VEHIGLES.

Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

IN a Ill/67 NW $44 N, PETERS. PMlo-Lllhogrnphun Wauhmglnn.

UNTTE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

llIRAM BARBER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPRING DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,318, dated November 19, 1889.

Application filed December 8, 1888. Serial No. 292,983. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM BARBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spring Draft Attachments and Tonguesupports for use on \Vagons and other Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is, first, to se cure a yieldingconnection between the evener and the fixed point of draft upon a wagon'or other vehicle; secondly, to secure at the same time a satisfactory support of the tongue of the vehicle against the downward pressure and thrust thereof upon the neck of the draftanimal.

In spring draft attachments heretofore in use it has been found difficult to secure the ready removal of the eyener for detached use. In tongue supports heretofore in use one great obstacle to overcome has been to find a point of attachment at the rear part of the tongue of the vehicle without interfering with the method of fastening the evenerby means of the old-fashioned bolt and hammer-strap.

In the invention herein described I have sought to secure both of these objects by means of one device.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved spring draft attachment and tongue-support. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of my spring draft attachment and tongue-support, takei'i on the line 3 3 of Fig. Fig. is a plan view of my improved draft-ecpializer and support. Fig. 4. is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a detail view of a section of the evener with plate and sleeve, through which the 6Y61lGP-b0llJ passes; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the bolt T, which holds head-block II in place. 7 is a perspective view of the clevis M, in which the evener is held and works; Fig. 8, a transverse section on the line I 1, Fig. 2.

In construction the exterior frame of my spring draft attachment and tongue-support is composed of the plate P, the casings C and D, and the bar 13. The casings and D are attached firmly to the front and rear ends, re-

spect-ively, of the plate P. The casing C is open at the rear end thereof and the casing D at the forward end. The plate P is provided with a central longitudinal slot 0, extending from the rear end of the casing (3 back to the casing D. The head-block II is provided with the shank 7c and the head (Z, the forward face of which is plain and provided with the shank 71', projecting from the center thereof and at right angles thereto, and has its rear face convex. The head (Z is also provided with a perpendicular aperture h for the passage of the stem c of the bolt T, the lower end of which enters the block X. The lower section of the block X lies below the plate I, and is of greater width than the slot 0, thus affording a bearing on the lower surface of the plate P on each side of the slot- 0. The upper section of the block X is fitted to move backward and forward in the slot 0, with the upper surface thereof against the lower surface of the head (Z. The block X is also provided with a suitable aperture for the reception of the lower end of the bolt T, which is inserted from above through the head (1 of the head-block II. The bolt T is enlarged at its upper end and provided with the recess a, in which the lower part of the bar B rests, and in which it moves when the bolt T is ad vanced. The lower part of the enlarged portion of said bolt rests upon the upper surface of the head (Z.

1) is a plate, the sleeve c of which is attached to the front side of the evener, and is held in. place in the clevis M by the bolt R, which passes through the sleeve 1 The lower member a of the clevis M is fitted to and designed to move back and forth in the slot 0. The upper member of the clevis M is provided with lugs Z Z Z Z, between which are the corresponding recesses r '1'. The upper end of the bolt is forked and provided with a recess corresponding with the recess 0 of the bolt T. The clevis M is held in place by the bar B and the plate P, the lower member thereof resting in the slot 0 and the bar I3 resting in the recess in the bolt R and the recesses r '2' between the lugs Z Z Z Z, said recesses forming a track in which the lower edge of the bar 13 may move when the clevis M is advanced. The bar B is attached to the casings C and D by means of the lugs 13 t and bolts 2' t. When the coil-spring S is in position, the forward end thereof is securely held in place by the casing G,which forms a chamber therefor, while the rear end thereof is against the forward face of the head (1 of the head-block H,with the shank extending forward into the coil of the said spring. The head-block H is held firmly in place by the bolt T and block X, the slot 0 allowing of forward and backward movement and the bar B and plate P preventing lateral movement. Upon applying forward draft to the evener E the face thereof, provided with the plate 19, is forced against the convex face of the head cl of the head-block H, and the forward face of the head cl is at the same time forced against the rear end of the coil-spring S, compressing the same according to the degree of forward draft, and thus securing the yielding connection desired between the draft and animal and the fixed point of draft upon the wagon or other vehicle.

In the above I have confined myself to the spring-draft feature and will now proceed to describe its application as a tongue-support.

It will be observed that the casing D performs no function in the spring-draft feature of my invention, except that it furnishes a point for the support and fastening of the bar B and constitutes a buffer to receive the backward shock of the evener E. For the purposes of a tongue-support the casing D furnishes a chamber for the compression of the coil-spring A. Said chamber is provided in each of its sides with longitudinal slots a, in which the bolt 1) of the clevis V moves and presses against the forward -end of the coil- .spring A, compressing the same when forward pressure is applied to the tongue of the vehicle.

' U is a clevis, one end of which is held by the chain N, said chain being attached at its opposite end to the bolster or other fixed part of the wagon or vehicle. It will thus be seen that a simple and effective device for the supwith the tongue of a vehicle, of the plate P,

secured thereto and provided with the longitudinal slot 0, the casings C and D, made integral with said plate, the bar B, connecting said casings, the evener E, provided with the plate 19, the bolt R, having an enlarged slotted head embracing the bar B, the head-block H, provided with the head (1 and the shank k, the bolt T, having an enlarged slotted head embracing the bar B, and the coiled spring 8, located between the head dand the front end of the casing C, substantially asspecified.

2. In a combined draft-equalizer and ton guesupport, the combination, with the tongue of a vehicle, of the plate P, secured thereto and provided with the longitudinal slot 0, the casings C D, made integral with said plate, the bar B, connecting said casings, the evener E, provided with the plate p, the bolt R, havin g the enlarged slotted head embracing the bar B, the head-block I-I, provided with the head d and the shank 7c, the bolt T, having an enlarged slotted head embracing the bar B, the coiled spring S, located between the head do and the front end of the casing, the clevis U, pivoted upon a bolt 19, passing through the slots a in casing D, the sliding head j, located in the latter casing, the coiled spring A, encircling said head, and the chain N, connecting said clevis with the vehicle, substantially as specified,

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19th day of November,

I-IIBAM BARBER. WVitnesses:

LOUISE HUYSSEN, FLORENCE BARBER, BARBARA SCHOTTLER. 

